In the known solid fuel stoves, combustible material is burned in a fire box to provide a heat source for heating the surrounding area by radiation from the body of the stove which is typically made of a metal such as cast iron or steel. Metal is rapidly heated by the combustion products and is a good radiator of heat. However, the metal is also rapidly cooled when solid fuel is not being burned in the stove. As a result, heating is in the main only effective while solid fuel is being burned in the stove.